Previewing Alabama’s 2018 Schedule

While Alabama has become the latest topic in the SEC as far as scheduling is concerned, it seems appropriate to go ahead and preview their 2018 schedule while I’ve had no chance to watch a lot of NASCAR due to my work schedule (albeit maybe three whole races). With that being said, I will try to keep the ball rolling and I will stick with the somewhat hot hand at the moment which is Alabama’s scheduling, and in alphabetical order go with each team. Seems premature for me, but I gotta do something.

As usual, the Crimson Tide start off with a Power Five team on a neutral site, this time facing Louisville in the second Camping World Kickoff Classic in Orlando in three years. Since Camping World didn’t sponsor this game last season, I can’t call it annual (go figure). They will face the Cardinals for only the fourth time overall, with Louisville winning last meeting in the Fiesta Bowl in 1991. It will be the first time they will face Bobby Petrino since being fired at Arkansas.

While the SEC West is the same as usual, there will be potential new challenges including in the East. Jimbo Fisher makes his debut as Texas A&M head coach, facing his former boss once again on the road. They will also host Mississippi State with their new head man Joe Moorehead coming from Penn State and look to get their revenge on Jarrett Stidham and Auburn, who practically cost them their fourth straight SEC Championship. Most importantly in this case, Guz Malzahn is now a rich man.

One part of the East always remains the same with Tennessee now taken over by former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Unless Fisher gets their first, no former Saban assistant has beaten him since becoming head coach themselves. The Crimson Tide will now host Missouri at homecoming and take on quarterback Drew Lock, in which this game could decide whether Barry Odom may be at the helm after 2018. The Tigers are within the annual cross-divisional rotation.

One other change is traveling to Arkansas to face new coach Chad Morris, and the rest of the 2018 non-conference schedule is shaped up as so: